Partridges in the Snow

[Belladonnastrap]

A bundle of roasted chestnut, oak bark, sawdust, balsam, and warm brown musk against a backdrop of white sandalwood, orris butter, and juniper.

[Mufasa]

The chestnut is easily the strongest and loudest note, which takes the overall scent a little more gourmand-esque then I thought it would. But it’s a very nice soft, fuzzy, resinous smell. Kind of similar to Sarah the mother bear + a foody nutty edge from the chestnut. It’s very evocative of the color brown, earthy and a little sweet, very nice.

[puellacaerulea]

This is very much a warm, brown, cozy scent. Chestnut is definitely the dominant note here. I recognize the brown musk from Year of the Ox, but where that scent is heavy on the woods and tobacco, this is nutty and a little creamy. There are hints of woods and balsam that keep this from going into full gourmand territory, though.

[Casablanca]

This was one of my friend's decants. It showed up on me mainly as a warm, cozy, chestnut brown musk, with a little dust and wood. Earthy, comfortable, and well-blended.

 

Brown musk scents aren't a go-to for me, but I love the art.

[Poenari]

This is the strangest experience! It smells like Boo on me! I cannot figure it out, but the top note is the same kind of cotton/linen note that I get from Boo! As it dries down, it warms up and becomes a gentle brown musk. Stays very close to my skin and would be wearable in any situation. It's very nice but I can't get the similarity to Boo out of my mind. Skin chemistry is so weird. 

[AirimirOfGondor]

This past Christmas, I tried fresh roasted chestnuts for the first time ever. I then proceeded to buy 4 pounds and freeze them for later use. 😆

 

So when I saw this oil, I realllllly wanted to try it~

 

Wet, it is rich, sweet, and syrupy. It feels more like a thick caramel to me, and most other listed notes are overpowered by it.

 

As it dries though, the sweetness tones down a little, and the chestnut really starts to shine. It doesn't 100% smell like real chestnut, but it is as close as I can envision (without just huffing produce).

 

The other notes are mild. I definitely get a dusty-woody quality, and a hint of buttery warmth, while the sweeness lingers.

 

Overall, I'm really thrilled! This is a warm, comforting, cozy scent; grounding, and sweet without being too overly foodie.

[groovyrooby]

This is warm and rich. I wasn't sure how the chestnuts would come off - I imagine them more waxy than nutty. But this was buttery, nutty, sweet, and warm. Didn't change much over time, but hung onto the brown musk with a rich, sweet spin. Very yummy.

[niffler]

Warm, cozy, nutty, buttery. It's almost like maple syrup when it's wet in the bottle, and then the woods and brown musk come through to make it less foody as it's dry. Still definitely roasted and rich chestnut... this is so well blended I'm struggling to separate out any of the particular woods. If I really concentrate I find the dry sawdust and smooth sandalwood. So comfy and very constant through the drydown. Definitely a feeling I'd associate with little brown birds snuggling into a nest in a hollow tree for a winter's nap.... oh, to be a little brown birb ☺️

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet chestnuts and brown musk. Cozy, roasted, woodsy chestnuts. Medium throw and wear length.

[tinyvulture]

 The chestnut and oak are really warm and cozy. There’s a very vague hint of clean, sharp juniper, but it’s muffled and smoothed out by the orris butter. The chestnut is sweet and caramelized and it seems like it’ll mostly be a gourmand blend, but then there are the other notes in the background that keep it from being 100% foodie.

[Ceux]

Warm, woody and cosy, a perfect scent for winter. It feels like if you come home in your tiny cabin in the woods after a long  January day spent outside having fun in the snow. You warm your frosted face and fingers by the fireplace while something sweet is slowly cooking. Wet, I get a strong mix of the oak bark, sawdust and basalm, and as it dries the warmth of the roasted chestnut hug me, the white sandalwood gently peeking through with a hint of juniper. Very long wear, I can still smell a faint sweet and woodsy scent on me the next day.

[Lucchesa]

This was my favorite entry in the Lux Brumalis collection.  (OK, I also loved Winter Night Figure on the Bridge, but this one is more "me.")  I love the roasted chestnut note, and the other notes form a woody, snuggly backdrop for it.  Cozy, nutty, sweet, outdoorsy.  

[ittybitty]

In the bottle, it smells just like maple syrup! Once on my skin (wet) it's a nuttle maple syrup. It's very sugary sweet. Once it starts drying down, the sweet nuttiness comes to the forefront, followed by juniper. It starts of really warm and them, by the end of the sniff, it's fresh/cold. After 30 minutes, the warmth is hanging on by a thread. While the syrupy, nutty smell is still the top note, the freshness of the woody scent makes it feel very cold. At the 2-hour mark, it's once again the warm, nutty maple syrup, but without any woodiness. I lasted forever on me--I could smell it on my wrist the next morning!

It's a very sweet, winter gourmand scent. I like that the nuttiness helped tone down the syrupy nature of this scent. It was earthy and foodie and it smelled like winter. It brought up a specific memory of walking through the cobbled streets of Prague with my husband while it snowed. As much as I enjoy the memories this scent invoke, I am just not that into gourmands, so, while I will finish this imp, I won't be looking for any more. I'll likely save it to wear on days I want to remember my time in Prague.

[Tungerine]

This is definitely warm and cosy! I find it hard to pick out individual notes except for the chestnuts and brown musk, but it's woody and a little creamy. It's fairly sweet but I don't find it syrupy. It's one of my favourites, but not one that I wear frequently, it's more of a special occasion scent.